You Called Me Kid by Pete Droge

Album: Fade Away Blue (2025)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Pete Droge says "You Called Me Kid" is "a song of love and gratitude for my mom and dad." They adopted him at birth and were loving parents.
Droge wrote the song in 2015 a few years after his father died, but he battled chronic fatigue and didn't release it until 2025, when he made it the first song and lead single on his album Fade Away Blue.

"I'd had the title for a long time because he used to call me 'kid,'" Droge told Songfacts. "I thought that would be a solid title and eventually it became that song. Sadly, my mom passed away three days before 'You Called Me Kid' was released as a single in June. I was able, at her bedside, to play her a soft, mellow version of the song."
For the music video, Droge put out a call asking fans to send in photos of parental figures who made a big impact in their lives. Many of those photos appear in the video, which was directed by John Jeffcoat.
Droge's best-known song is his first single, "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)," released in 1994. His music got a lot more personal over time, and much of the Fade Away Blue album reflects his journey, including his search for his birth mother.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Come Out And PlayThe Offspring

The line, "Gotta keep 'em separated" in "Come Out And Play" by The Offspring came to lead singer Dexter Holland when he was a medical student and needed to keep bacteria samples away from each other.

LandslideFleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks wrote "Landslide" before she joined Fleetwood Mac. She was considering going back to school when she and her boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham were asked to join the group.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)Eurythmics

The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" came top of a 2013 Spotify poll to find out which songs music fans most commonly hear people singing incorrectly. Many believe Annie Lennox is singing: "Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to disagree?"

Don't Cry For Me ArgentinaJulie Covington

Featured in the 1978 musical Evita, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" became the biggest selling UK hit by a female vocalist (Julie Covington).

Rap GodEminem

Eminem spits a total of 1,560 words on "Rap God," earning him an entry in the 2015 Guinness Book of Records for "most words in a hit single."

Light My FireThe Doors

"Light My Fire" was the first song Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote. Looking for a universal theme, he decided to write about one of the four elements (air, earth, water, fire).